Dreams
by Akal-Saris
Summary: Motoko is having strange fantasies about Keitaro, Shinobu is having recurring nightmares, and Tama is on the loose! What's the connection? Read and find out! (Yes, it is labeled drama....maybe fluff would be more appropriate)


Note:  The events in this story take place around episode 13.  It centers on Motoko and Shinobu, and also Keitaro and Kitsune.  Both Motoko and Shinobu act OOC at times, but trust me, its intended!  Included  are some references to Rurouni Kenshin.  If you haven't seen episode 8 of Love Hina (Motoko's dream), this story really won't make much sense.  Note:  If you read this and have any suggestions to improve it, *please* email me!!  When a sentence starts and ends with _'…'_, it's a dream.

Dreams Prologue 

- Setting: Hinata Inn Stairway

Bells ring eerily as three old men walk through a deep fog.  They look at Hinata Inn and see a figure practicing kendo on the roof.

"Sword?" – One says.

"Flower?" – Another muses.

 "Who knows?"

As the mist clears, the old men are gone.

Chapter 1 - Sword 

It was nighttime at Hinata Inn.   Throughout the dormitory, the lights had been shut off.  All, that is, except for Motoko's room.  Inside, the sound of Motoko pacing could be heard.

            Motoko turned sharply about and counted her footsteps.  One, two, three, and turn.  One, two, three, and turn.   Tired, she dropped into a meditative position, trying to clear her mind.  But then she remembered Naru return from the island with that abysmal fiend of a turtle cradled in her arms.  Saw herself desperately trying to control a sudden chill as the creature's soulless black eyes focused on her, and its mouth curled into a wicked smile.  Since that day, things had gone downhill for Motoko.  Unable to sleep or concentrate, all she dreamt of was that turtle.  Every time she was about to fall asleep, the turtle would appear in her room and then vanish just as abruptly.  Then, after a week without sleep, she had that nightmare about being trapped in a game.  What was even more unsettling was the fact that Naru had experienced the very same dream.  As far as Motoko could tell, the two girls had both shared similar feelings of anxiety towards Keitaro when they drifted off, and so they had shared the dream.

"Calm yourself, Motoko.  It means no harm," she chided herself.  But, as she resumed her attempt to meditate, she heard once more the maddening sound of turtles laughing.

Motoko woke up too late for breakfast, not having fallen asleep until sunrise.  Fixing herself a simple meal (the only kind she knew how to make), Motoko quickly left for her room to change into her kendo clothes and begin practicing.  She was exhausted, but discipline must be maintained.  

            As she opened her door, she noticed immediately that something was wrong.  Looking around wildly, she saw a small shape fly out from her carefully folded kendo clothing and wave its flippers at her.  "Myu!  Myu myu!"

  *Slam!* Motoko quickly shut the door and collapsed against the wall.  Another perfectly good set of clothing ruined.  And her sword was in there too.  How was the damned thing getting in?  She was certain she closed the door, and the thing didn't have the strength to force it open, did it?  No time to think about that, she must escape before it found her!  Motoko fled her room, running down the hall in search of a hiding place.

Chapter 2 - Flower 

Shinobu ran blindly through the Inn, trying to hold back the tears she felt welling up at the corners of her eyes.  Her parents had met for the first time in months so they could both see their daughter, and at first Shinobu had thought things were going well.  Mother hadn't lost her temper, and father hadn't tried to pressure her mother into accepting money from him.  But then, Shinobu had left to buy an ice cream, and had returned to see lunch knocked onto the ground and forgotten, her parents screaming at each other.  The sight upset Shinobu so much that she dropped her ice cream and ran off.  She had heard her parents shouting at her to slow down; to come back, but she didn't want to see them.  All she wanted now was to be left alone!  She had wanted so much for them to be happy together!  But she had only made things worse for them.  Now they could never be a family again, and it was all her fault!  Running towards her room, Shinobu tripped and fell.  Around the corner she heard Keitaro talking.  What would happen if he saw her like this?  He'd try to help her feel better, and she'd only feel guilty for worrying him.  She had to hide!  Opening the nearest door, Shinobu rushed in and closed it behind her, stifling her tears as Keitaro passed by her room.

Chapter 3 – Both? 

_'Motoko woke up with a lazy feeling of contented happiness, looking over happily at her husband.  Quietly getting out of bed and slipping on a dress, she tiptoed her way over to the kitchen, where she prepared breakfast, whistling happily to herself.  Back behind her, she heard her husband waking up, and went over to say good morning.  She found him brushing his teeth.  Laughing, she picked up a cloth and cleaned a spot he had missed._

"What's wrong, Kei kun?  Are you feeling okay?  Ah…I always have to do everything for you."  Smiling, she rested her chin against his shoulder as he turned around.  Keitaro smiled at her, and she knew she was safe with him.'

"WHAT?"  Motoko sat straight up, looking around wildly.  Where was she?  What was that dream?  Turning on a light, she saw that she was in Shinobu's room.  That explained her first question, but what about her dream?  That wasn't what Motoko wanted!  The very thought was, well… improper!  And Keitaro???  Cockroaches scared that weakling, for God's sake!  Getting up, she started to leave the room when she noticed that she was still wearing the same clothing as the day before.  Creeping into the hallway, she made her way over to her room and listened intently.  Yes, something was in there, she could hear it breathing softly.  That turtle was in there…waiting for her.  She was sure of it. Well, it could wait as long as it liked, because she had no intention of entering while it was in her room.  Motoko smiled to herself.  Strange or not, that dream had allowed her needed rest, and the thought of her having outsmarted the turtle only added to her good mood.  Putting on the last of her clothes, Motoko went to see what Shinobu was cooking.

_'Shinobu shook her long hair out of her face and looked slowly across the alley.  It was winter in Kyoto.  Winter meant hard times, and hard times meant danger for the weak.  Her school, Shinmei Ryu, had been formed to fight against monsters threatening the town, and while the days of such creatures were long past, during these times, evil took on more subversive forms.  From the shadows stepped a man.  He was small, almost feminine, but the cold glare from his dark purple eyes and the assured way in which he walked warned Shinobu at once that the man across her was the Hitokiri Battousai, a man turned monster, preying on the weak to further his own goals.  Grimly tightening her grip on her sword, Shinobu placed herself in the man's path.  "Battousai, today you shall join the innocents whom you have murdered in cold blood."_

_  The man looked up, one lip curling in a sneer.  "You are an assassin like me?  No… merely an idealist.  Very well then.  Die."  The two moved forward, and Shinobu attacked first, yelling her school's name in fury.  The Battousai moved effortlessly to block, and then his face crumpled in surprise as the ki traveled past his sword, slamming him against the wall with a loud crack.  Shinobu walked forward and stabbed, watching his blood flow slowly down the street.  She looked down at the broken body and nodded, satisfied that the streets of Kyoto were safe again.'_

_(AN:  God I love this paragraph…Battousai vs Shinobu ^_^)_

"AIEEE!!!"  Shinobu twisted up, looking around at the unfamiliar walls.  What was she doing here, in Motoko's room?  And why had she dreamed that nightmare?  She shook her head, trying to keep from crying once again.  The sight of the blood dripping down from her sword as she - she killed a man… Closing her eyes, she saw the blood running crimson past her feet, spilling out into the streets.  No, no, no…what had happened to her?  She didn't want to kill anyone!  All she wanted was to be a good wife, and cook her husband's meals, and to be happy.  Realizing it must be time for her to cook dinner, Shinobu swallowed the lump in her throat and walked slowly out of the room.

            Kitsune looked around curiously.  It was almost halfway through dinner, and still Shinobu had barely said a word.  She looked awful depressed for somebody that had gone to see her parents, and Kitsune had the impression that things hadn't gone well.  Motoko, however, had Kitsune mystified.  Normally quiet, recently she'd become downright reclusive.  But tonight Motoko had volunteered to serve the dishes and even started the conversation, though partway through she had fallen silent and was now staring at the wall thoughtfully.  No, that wasn't quite right.  If she didn't know better, Kitsune could have sworn Motoko was staring at Keitaro.  Kitsune suppressed a sudden giggle as she realized what must have happened.  Motoko must have a crush on Keitaro, and Shinobu was sad because she didn't want him to fall in love with Motoko!  Mmm…this would be very interesting!  Grinning impishly, Kitsune watched and waited for the fun to start. 

            Motoko laughed.  It didn't matter that Naru's remark wasn't very funny, or that Kitsune was watching her strangely, as long as she could feel good enough to laugh.  With that turtle locked up in her room, and a full day's worth of sleep behind her, Motoko felt immeasurably better.  Still…it wouldn't do for her to simply give up her discipline.  Standing up, she bowed slightly to the others.  "It is time I slept.  I plan on waking early tomorrow."  

            "Shinobu, if you wish to sleep late, I shall cook breakfast tomorrow."  A small nagging voice at the back of her head warned her that she wasn't acting normally.  Since when had she offered to make breakfast?  Rather than think about that, she headed back towards her room and prayed that the turtle didn't visit her again, even (shudder) if it meant another dream about Keitaro.

            Shinobu walked slowly towards her room.  She knew Keitaro was worried about her, as his eyes kept wandering over to hers and he looked so concerned.  But how could she explain her dream to him?  He might think that she didn't enjoy her life here!  But she did enjoy life here!  While at Hinata Inn, she felt as if life was a dream, and she could be this happy forever.  She didn't want to leave, especially not when every reminder of her parents made her feel sick inside.  Coming to the hallway to her room, she hesitated as footsteps sounded behind her.   Motoko approached Shinobu slowly.  "What's wrong, Shinobu?  Is something in your room?"

  "N-no!  I just – didn't want to…sleep in my room tonight."

  Motoko nodded.  "Me neither.  Why don't we switch rooms for the night?"  Shinobu quickly stammered out her agreement, and the two parted.  

            Motoko snuggled deeper into Shinobu's bed, sighing happily at how soft it felt.  She heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Haruka's telling her that it was improper for a warrior to enjoy the comfort of a soft bed, but she was feeling too good to listen to it.  Lying on her side, she gazed happily at all of Shinobu's stuffed animals smiling at her before dropping into a deep sleep.

            Shinobu laid straight on her back, trying very hard to ignore the feeling that if she were to sleep, the nightmares would return.  Wishing she had one of her stuffed animals to hold, she drifted fitfully off.

Chapter Four – Neither? 

'Motoko looked expectantly at the scores for the entry exam to Tokyo University.  There she was, at the top of the list!  "You're the greatest, Motoko!"  "Congratulations!" cried her friends.  "Starting today, I'm a student of Tokyo U"!  She ran through a hallway and waited.  Then, through the doors stepped a man.  It was he!  "Motoko, I've been waiting for you."  Keitaro held out his hand to her, and the two followed their promise, eating lunch together (of course handmade by her!), going to tennis camp, and finally student marriage!  How lucky she was to be his promised girl!'

"Huh?"  Blinking her eyes several times to get rid of any traces of sleep, Motoko looked around Shinobu's room.  Nodding, she stood up and stretched.  Only mildly irritated at the dream, she put on a spare apron of Shinobu's and started towards the kitchen.

_ "No!  My child!"  Looking up through Sakura's hands, Shinta suddenly felt Akane's blood splatter her face.  Suddenly, Sakura was jerked away from her, and Shinta watched in horrified silence as a sword plunged through Sakura's neck.  The bandit jerked it out and moved behind Shinta, holding his sword to the girl's throat.  "Who are you?" snarled the bandit at a tall man in a red mantle.  The tall man slowly raised his sword.  "You won't live long enough for it to matter.  Zangan Ken."  The stranger slashed, and Shinta flinched as she felt the ki fly through her and into the bandit, who collapsed onto the ground.  Stabbing the bandit through the neck quickly and efficiently, the tall stranger spoke.  _

_"Your family is dead, and there is nothing you can do about it.  They needed protection, and you were too small to have done so.  You must learn the ways of Shinmei Ryu if you are to protect those too weak to protect themselves."  "What is your name, girl?"  "Shinta." _

_ "A child's name, unsuitable for a warrior.  From now on, your name is Shinobu."  Walking along the path, the man spoke again.  "I have found an apprentice.  Consider yourself fortunate."_

Shinobu's eyes snapped open as she bolted upright.  Looking around the forbidding room, she felt slightly ill.  Why was she having these horrible dreams?  What had she done to deserve such a terrible thing?  Was it a premonition of some kind?  Forcing herself to lie down again, Shinobu rested her cheek against the cold floor and closed her eyes, trying to rid her mind of the feel of blood splashing against her face.

Motoko sliced unions for soup, feeling a sense of satisfaction at the simple chore.  As she worked, she hummed a lullaby and reflected on her recent dreams.  Something was nagging her about them, and it wasn't just the fact that they were about Keitaro.  As she was setting the table, she remembered: They were similar to the dream she had shared with Naru!  Most likely she was having the same dream as Naru again, only this time it was more Naru's than her own.   She nodded at this explanation, which would explain the predominance of Keitaro in the dreams quite well, and might also be the reason why Naru had been so nice to Keitaro recently.  Odd…now that she thought about it, Keitaro really didn't deserve the constant abuse she gave him.  True, he had been caught peeking at Naru too many times for Motoko's comfort, but Motoko suspected that Naru enjoyed the attention.  He had also lied about being in college, but none of the other girls seemed to care about it.  As for thinking him a weakling, he was fulfilling his duties as manager quite admirably, and he had both defeated her on the roof, and then pulled her back up.  Motoko sighed.  If Keitaro could only curb his more perverted tendencies, he would make a decent man for a husband.  The arrival of the others forced her to abandon this line of thinking as they began to eat the meal she had cooked.  

Once at school, Shinobu greeted Taichi and then sat down, watching sadly as the other girls tormented her friend.  She wished she could do something about it, but could never bring herself to confront them.  Usually, she would watch as they teased the younger girl, and then help Taichi clean up.  Today, however, one pushed Taichi down onto the floor.  Before she really knew what she was doing, Shinobu had moved in front of her friend with both hands poised at her side, unconsciously reaching for a sword.

"It's not right to do this to her just because she's weaker than you!  Your behavior is shameful.  You should be ashamed!"  The other girls stared at her, and the leader started towards Shinobu with her hand raised.  Something in Shinobu's eyes stopped the girl; however, and instead she flounced past Shinobu and Taichi as the rest of the girls left.  

"Thank you Shinobu.  That was very nice of you!"  Shinobu blinked. 

 "Ah…its nothing.  I hope I didn't embarrass you".  Blushing, Shinobu looked at her feet.  What had she been thinking, challenging those girls?  Now they would only return and torment Taichi tomorrow, and maybe Shinobu also.  

"No, not at all!  It was very brave what you did, I didn't think you had the courage to say that."  Taichi smiled.  "I know I don't have that much courage."  Shinobu nodded, cheered by the fact that she hadn't made matters worse after all.

Chapter 5 – Sunset Fantasies

            Motoko excused herself from the kendo club, hurrying before her groupies could catch up.  The last thing she wanted was their learning what thoughts were distracting her from kendo.  Perhaps the groupies were right, and living in the same house as a man was corrupting her.  Or maybe they were just stupid.  Mildly amused at the fact that she respected Keitaro more than her fans, Motoko looked for Naru.  While she definitely enjoyed these dreams…no!  She didn't enjoy them, not at all!  Chastising herself for where her thoughts were wandering, Motoko reminded herself that her first duty was to remind Naru that getting too close to Keitaro might distract both students from their studies, and hint to the older girl that she should dream of something else.  Motoko found Naru fast asleep on the sofa.  Behind her, she heard Kitsune speaking. 

 "Is Naru awake yet?  I need to buy sake, and she told me she wanted to come too."  

"No, she isn't.  How come Naru-sempai is so tired?"  Kitsune frowned down at Naru.  

"For the past two nights, she's had to stay up all night studying for the test today.  She hasn't slept more than an hour until this afternoon."

            Kitsune watched in surprise as Motoko hissed something about that being impossible, and then run out the door.  "Well, that certainly was unexpected."  Why was Motoko so surprised that Naru and Keitaro had been cramming for the exams again?  Unless…unless Motoko also suspected that the two had been doing more than just 'studying' all night long, and was jealous!  Aha!  Wondering if she should just tell Motoko that Keitaro didn't have the backbone to try anything with Naru, Kitsune decided against it.  After all, Motoko had to develop a social sense some day, and things were just starting to get really interesting!  Looking back at Naru, Kitsune wondered how far Keitaro and Motoko would go if she gave them a push in the right direction.  Why not?  After all, maybe if Naru got jealous enough at the two, she'd admit her love for Keitaro, making both college students happy.  Kitsune was sure that Keitaro didn't have the backbone or inclination to get anywhere with Motoko.  And once Naru and Keitaro had admitted their love for each other, Kitsune could admit her feelings to Seta.  Perfect!  Grinning slyly, Kitsune waited for an opportunity.

            The wind rustled through the leaves of a cherry tree as the sun began to fall beneath the horizon.  Motoko watched the beautiful scene quietly from her perch on a limb of the tree, enjoying the peace and meditating on how to improve herself in kendo.  For almost five minutes.

  "Mou!"  Smacking the tree to accentuate her annoyance, Motoko jumped off the tree.  Usually she enjoyed the solitude this place provided.  Today, it was just too damned quiet.  Even Keitaro would be welcome company by now.  More than welcome.  Actually…Keitaro was the only person she felt like seeing.  But how could she explain that she had been dreaming about him?  She knew she didn't like him the way Naru did, but the only other explanation she could think of for the dreams was that a different girl than Naru at the Inn was also very stressed, and the two were sharing the same dreams.  Motoko felt her eyes starting to close as the sun and the stress put her to sleep, and she wondered if she really wanted to stay awake.  Maybe if she fell asleep she could explain her problems to the dream-Keitaro.

Keitaro looked around the graveyard.  Kitsune had said that she saw Motoko headed that way, and he had tried nearly everywhere else.  Then he saw a kendo sword lying in the dirt, as if somebody had thrown it away.  His eyes traveling up, Keitaro saw Motoko sitting in a tree, her eyes gazing into space. 

 "There you are, Motoko-chan!  I was starting to worry.  Kitsune said you hadn't eaten lunch or dinner, and that as manager it's my duty to take you somewhere nice to eat."  Keitaro gulped.  Knowing Motoko, she might take that the wrong way.

 "Urashima-sempai…?"  Motoko's expression seemed lost, as if she was searching for something in his eyes and couldn't find it.

"Yes, Motoko?"  Sempai?  Had he done something to deserve her respect lately?  Well, if she was being nice, the least he could do was return the favor.  

"Please wait a moment, I have something…I wish to tell you."  Keitaro strained to listen as Motoko whispered something, but was certain he hadn't heard correctly.

 Keitaro climbed onto the tree next to Motoko.  Feeling the tree sway in the wind from the sudden weight, he shifted closer to Motoko, praying that she didn't knock him off the tree for touching her.

Motoko smiled to herself.  For a dream about Keitaro, this wasn't as intimate as the others had been, and was closer to her memories of her sister telling stories of how Shinmei Ryu was founded and the monsters it had been used to defeat.  Not a bad dream, after all…

Keitaro's eyes widened as he saw Motoko sway and begin to slide off the tree.

"No!"  Lunging across the tree, he straddled the tree and balanced Motoko before she fell.  Looking down, he realized that the tree wasn't the only thing he was straddling.  Freezing, he slowly brought his gaze into Motoko's face.  Phew…she was asleep, a small smile tugging at her lips.  Keitaro whispered a heartfelt thanks to the powers for not fating him to die at the hands of an outraged kendo student.  Noticing her starting to fall again, he quickly put an arm around her waist and looked away, getting the sinking feeling that the moment Motoko woke up; she would kick his ass for holding her like this.  Keeping a watchful eye on her in case he had to make a sudden escape, Keitaro wondered why he was so scared of Motoko.  After all, she didn't hate him or anything, and recently had been downright sweet, cooking his favorite breakfast for him.  Never mind that it tasted horrible; it was the thought that counted.  Sitting there with his arm around Motoko, Keitaro slowly relaxed and wondered just how he was going to get out of this.

            Kitsune backed away from where she had hidden and leaned against a wall as she tried to convince herself that what had just happened was impossible.  She had seen Keitaro greet Motoko, Motoko had replied, he had climbed onto the tree next to her, and then things got confusing fast.  Motoko had said something, and in response Keitaro had climbed on top of…no!  Hell no!  No way he would do that!  He didn't even like Motoko!  Maybe…maybe Motoko had been slipping, and he had just caught her.  Yes, that must be it.  Feeling her heart slow again, Kitsune peeked around the corner.  The setting sun framed the couple as Keitaro put his arm around Motoko's waist, and the girl smiled dreamily at him.  Turning the corner again, Kitsune banged her head against the wall.  Of course!  What a fool she had been!  She had forgotten that Motoko and Keitaro were almost complete opposites, and everyone knows that opposites attract!  Bad!  This was bad!  If Keitaro and Motoko loved each other, Shinobu would be crushed, Naru would be heartbroken and Kitsune couldn't be with Seta because Naru would fall in love with Seta again.  Think, Kitsune, think!  One thing was clear; she needed to get the two of them apart before anything else happened!

            Motoko shifted, trying to find a comfortable position against her sister through the dreamy haze she felt.  Only half aware of a voice from deep in her head that she was no longer eight years old, Motoko relaxed and let herself drift off, knowing her sister would be there to watch over her.

            Keitaro felt Motoko stir next to him, and patted her head gingerly as he thought about the slender girl resting against him.  Poor Motoko.  With all the stress from kendo training, always having to protect the others, and Tama-chan's recent arrival, it was only natural that she was feeling insecure.  Tama-chan! He had forgotten to do something about the turtle's tendency to wander around the Inn at night.  She had to be terrified at the thought of Tama-chan running loose at night!  Of course, there was no way a conscious Motoko would ever admit to needing comforting.  He felt her lean against him, snuggling into his arms with a contented sigh.  Rocking slowly back and forth, Keitaro whispered soothingly to her.  He didn't know how to repent for his mistake, but letting her get some solid rest would be a good start.  And once she was fast asleep, he could bring her back to her room, stop Tama's roving days, and pray that Motoko wouldn't remember this.  Carefully picking her up, he began walking back, Motoko sleeping in his arms.

Kitsune gathered her courage, preparing for the sight of Keitaro and Motoko walking together.  Quickly silencing any guilt about disrupting their happiness on the grounds that their staying apart would keep everyone much happier, Kitsune almost bumped into Keitaro, who was holding Motoko in his arms.  Damn Keitaro for the pervert he was!  Didn't he even remember she was underage?  Kitsune tried the only thing she could think of that would distract Keitaro from his typically perverted thoughts. 

"Keitaro!  Come quick, Shinobu is in trouble!"  Hoping that Shinobu would enjoy Keitaro's attention and pretend to have some sort of problem, Kitsune figured the hard part was convincing Keitaro of the trouble now. 

"What's wrong?  Is she hurt?"  Kitsune was touched by his concern for Shinobu, and a part of her wondered if he would worry that much for Kitsune too. 

 "I'm not sure, she seemed really sad, and, um, quiet.  Why don't you go see her, I'll take care of Motoko!"  Keitaro seemed to hesitate, and then nodded, carefully easing Motoko onto the sofa and dashing off towards Shinobu's room.

Chapter Six – A Family for Shinobu

Keitaro skidded around the corner to Shinobu's room, and quickly knocked on her door.  Slowly looking in (Too many punches from Naru had taught Keitaro not to charge into a girl's room), Keitaro saw Shinobu sitting in a small pile of drawings on the floor next to her bed, her back to him.  Keitaro had noticed Shinobu's depression during dinner, but had been too distracted by the way Motoko had been watching him to ask what the matter was.  He sat down next to her, noticing that all the pictures were of the people at Hinata Inn.  Frowning, he also noticed that all her pictures of her family were in the trash.

"Shinobu-chan, how did your lunch with your parents go?"  The girl tucked her arms around her knees and looked at the ground.  "It…it went fine".  Her voice caught on the last words.  Keitaro sighed.  It was always so unfair when a family split up.

 "Shinobu-chan, I know it's hard to understand, but maybe its better if your parents stay apart."  Shinobu looked at him, her eyes filled with tears.  "Your parents both love you very much, but they're happier apart then they are together.  It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with their personalities.  You, well, you shouldn't feel guilty about it."  

Shinobu sniffled.  "But…my family…"

 Keitaro pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Shinobu. "Think of it this way.  Instead of choosing which house to stay at, you came here, right?"  Shinobu nodded.

"Well, just think of us here at Hinata Inn as your family then!"  Keitaro picked up a crumpled picture of all of the tenants from the ground.  "After all, your family is the people you feel most comfortable with, the people who love you.  All of us are here for similar reasons to yours.  None of us want to return to our families, so we became one."  Keitaro looked at Shinobu hopefully.  He knew what he had said sounded foolish, but maybe it would help her understand that she could count on him to help with her problems.  Shinobu sat on the floor staring at the picture she had drawn, unmoving.   Keitaro stood up and started to leave.

"Sempai…" Keitaro turned around just as Shinobu hugged him.  "Thank you!  Thank you for letting stay here!"  Whatever else she said was muffled by her head buried in Keitaro's shirt.  

Keitaro held Shinobu for a moment or two, and then gently pried her off him.  "Hahaha, that's better.  Now, there's something I think you can do.  You're friends with Tama-chan, right?"  Shinobu nodded eagerly.  "She also needs a place to stay, otherwise she'll fly into random rooms and surprise people."  Then in a hushed voice,  "And you know how much Tama-chan scares Motoko.  So why don't you keep Tama in your room at night?  That way you'll have company at night, and we can make sure she doesn't scare Motoko or get eaten by Su.  Sound good to you?"  Shinobu nodded.  "Good, now why don't you start dinner?  I'm going to go check on Naru."

            Keitaro grinned as he watched Shinobu dash away.  She could be so cute sometimes.  ^_^ Well, it looked as if life was back to normal for those two.  Hopefully, what he said about their being a family would cheer Shinobu up, and the news that Tama would stay in Shinobu's room would definitely relieve Motoko.  Yes sir, just another day in the life of a manager.

                                                                                    ** The End! **

This was the second fanfic I ever wrote, and my first attempt at a serious one.  Sorry to everyone who was hoping I'd pair some of the characters…

Author:  Akal-Saris.  Email:  akal_saris@yahoo.com.  I love getting reviews (Even flames…), so please write em!


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